Stretcher for endless carriers



. K. SEELYE.

STRBTGHBR'FUR ENDLBSS GAR'RIBRS.l

(No Model.)

Patented Jah. -11

@verehrt l' ge? ye 37./ mi mi UEE,

ENCE.

PATENT SEYMOUR-K. SEELYE, OF HUDSON, MICHIGAN.

STRETCHER FoR ENDLl-:ss CARRIERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,723, dated January 11, 1887.

Application filed February l1, 1886. Serial No. 191,601. (No model.)

[lb all whom it mag/concern,.-

' Beit known that I, SEYMOUR K SEELYE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hudson, inthe county of Lenawee and State of Michigan, have invented certain -new and useful Improvements in Stretchers vfor Endless Gonveyers, which are fully described in the followingspecication.

My invention is applicable to any endless conveyer having two aprons between which straw or like material is conveyed; but I have particularly illustrated and will describe it as applied to the elevating-conveyer of a harvesting-machine..

In the drawings, Figure l is a rearelevation of a harvester-elevator with myinveution applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan of a bracket used in my invention to. give bearings for certain operating parts. Fig. 4 is an elevation of `a ratchetwheel and tension-spring which I employ, the

' dial-covering shown in Fig. l being removed. Fig. 5 is a perspective of the strain-communieating lever and the links which are connected with it.-

A A2 are the elevator side bars, respectively front and rear.

B B2 are the endless conveying-belts OP the elevator, respectively upper and lower.

C C2 are brackets fastened to the upper in-A ner edges of the elevator side barsfA A2, respectively.v

D is a shaft journaled in said brackets, and so extending horizontally across the elevator from front to rear.

E is a ratchet-wheel loose on the rear-'end of said shaft D. Its web constitutes the cylindrical box E', in which is coiled the spring F, secured at one end to the shaft D and at the other end to the wheel E. A pawl,e,is pivoted on the bracket C2, and engages the ratchet- A wheel E.

G G are similarvlinks or slide-bars, in the upper ends of which the shaft of the stretching-roller B10 is journaled. The side bars, A A2, are provided with the slots a, to allow for the movement ofthe shaft of the roller in its adjustment, as hereinafter described, and, besides the guidance afforded the slide-bars G G by the bearing of the roller shaft in said slots, they are provided, further, with the guide is the stretching-roller of the lower elevatorv belt, B2. The side bars, A A2, have the slots a for the shaft of the stretching-roller B20, and the cross-ties A3 are liollowed underneath, as seen inFig. 6, to allow both longitudinal and lateral movement to the links G G.

H H are equal levers,connected at one end, h lz, to the' upper ends of the links G G', and at the other end, It h', to the cables .I J, which are secured to and wound around the shaft D, adjacent to the brackets C C2, respectively. At h2 hmidway between the points of connectionto the links G G and the points of counection to the cables J J said levers H H are pivoted to the lower ends of the links or slidebars G G. Y

The box E in the wheel E is covered with a dial-plate, E, through which the shaft D protrudes at the center, and to 'the said shaft, outside the dial-plate, issecured the index, tnger E3. The dial is v marked to indicate pounds of strain, and, as shown in the drawings, is marked'frorn 0 to 90. A

When first set up, the upper and lower elevator-belts are made of such lengths as to be equally and surIiciently tight when the shafts of their stretching-rollers B10 and B20',y respectively, stand about midway in the length of the 7 slots a and L -that is, so that the possibility of adjustment in either direction shall be about equal. The tension at this position may be made as desired by rotating the ratchetwheel E and winding up the spring F, and the lengths of the links G and G are such that when the rollers are in the position described the levers H H stand about at right angles to said li-nks. This relation of parts is only desirable as affording the widest range of adjustment, and is not essential otherwise.

When any strain is put upon either of the canvas belts B B2, whetherl in operation or by shrinkage when not in operation, the idleroller, around which such belt is carried,which is jounnaled in the slide-bars G or G', tends to yield to relieve said strain, and in so yielding transmits a part of the strain, through the le- IOO vers H and the other slide-bars and the idleroller of the other belt, to said other belt. The connection of the lever II with the cable J becomes in that case the fulcrum of said lever, and the strain is distributed between the two belts in the inverse ratio of the lengths of the lever-arms 71J h and h h2. By making the distance h2 h several times as great as the distance h h2 the strain may be approximately equalized. The fulcrum h of the lever H, being a yielding fulcrum, yields when the strain upon the belts is increased, causing the spring F to be coiled more tightly, but preventing by this means the excessive pressure and strain upon the belts and their roll`er-bearings,which would otherwise result when the limit of the stretch of the belts was reached.

I claim- 1. In combination, substantially as set forth, the stretching-rollers of the upper and lower conveyer-belts, bars in which said rollers are journaled, movable in the direction of the length of the belts, levers connecting the bars on each side, and a fulcrum for each of said levers, supported upon the conveyer-frame and movable relatively to its support in the direction of the ,length of the belts.

2. In combination, substantially as set forth, the stretching-rollers of the upper and lower conveyerbelts,located at opposite ends of the same, bars in which said rollers are journaled, movable in the direction of the length of the belts, levers connecting said bars and ex tended from them to fulcrums supported on the frame and movable in the direction of the length of the belts.

3. In combination, substantially as set forth, the stretching-rollers of the upper and lower conveyer-belts, bars in which said rollers are journaled, movable in the direction of the length of the belts, levers connecting said bars, and elastically-yielding fulcrums for said lethe journal-bearings for said rollers, thelevers connecting said bars, the windlass-shaft journaled on the frame, the cables therefrom to the levers, the ratchet-wheel loose on said shaft, and its detaining-pawl and the spring secured to said shaft and to the ratchet-wheel.

6. In combination, substantially as and for the purpose set forth, the shaft D, ratchet-wheel E, loose on the shaft-,and its pawl e, the spring F, connecting saidshaft and wheel, the movable stretching-roller bearings and the connection therefrom to said shaft, andy a dial and index-hand, one'fixed on the shaft and the other fixed on the ratchet-wheel,whereby the tension of the conveyer-belt is indicated on said dial.

7. In combination, substantially as set forth, the stretching-rollers, the sliding bars having the bearings for said rollers, the levers connecting the sliding bars, the cables connected to the ends of said levers and the ywindlassshaft D, loose ratchet-wheel E and its detentpawl, and the spring F, connecting the wheel and the shaft.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of twowitnesses, at Hudson, Michigan, this 3d day of February, A. D. 1886.

SEYMOUR K. SEELYE.

Attest: v

G. I. THoMrsoN, CHAs. C. WHITNEY. 

